Introduction The Compass school opened in 2002 by a group of parents who wanted their kids to learn in a different way and use their brains. It is a K-8 school located in South Kingstown and has a total of 153 students. The curriculum at the Compass school focuses heavily on projects to integrate learning. By doing this, they feel, that the students learn the relevance of the information they learn and are able to take responsibility for and learn to present their work. The Compass School is based upon six key concepts and programs which include: parental involvement, environmental sustainability, site-based management, multistage approach, project-based teaching approach and social responsibility. The application process is based on a lottery system for all students that submit an application. If they are not picked initially, they are put on the waiting list and entered into the next lottery. In this report I will look at the demographics of the school, the effectiveness, specifically looking at standardized test scores, the teacher quality, and the school funding compared to statewide averages.
Demographics The Compass school does not have much, if any diversity. The majority of students (96%) are white, and the remaining 4% is distributed between African American (1%), Native American (1%), and Hispanic (2%). When comparing this to the demographics to South Kingstown as a whole, it is not much different. In South Kingstown, 90.8% of people are white and the other 9.2% is split between Hispanic, American Indian, Asian, and Black.
Effectiveness When comparing NECAP test scores of the Compass school to the statewide proficiency, the Compass school is significantly at a higher proficiency percentage in each grade and subject. At the Compass school, 4 percentages are 100% proficiency. These are 3rd grade math, 5th grade math, 5th grade reading, and 7th grade reading. The lowest proficiencies at the Compass school are 63% in 5th grade reading and 67% in 8th grade science. At the statewide level, the percentages are much lower, the lowest being 27% in 8th grade science and the highest being 77% in 8th grade reading.
Teacher Quality The teachers at the Compass school have a higher percentage of teachers that are not highly qualified. The percentage from 2010-2011 for not highly qualified teachers is 7% at the Compass School as compared to 3% as the statewide percentage. Although this school has a relatively high number of not qualified teachers, this does now mean the school has bad teachers. Highly qualified means the teacher has a degree in the area they are teaching, therefore at this school, the high percentage could be because the teachers do not have degrees in their subject or in education. The teacher-student ratio is equivalent to the statewide average of 1:11.
School Funding The Compass school receives its funding from public tax dollars and Federal and State grants. The district per pupil expenditure is $16,082. At the statewide level, the per pupil spending is $15,173. Therefore, the funding per pupil at the Compass school is above the state average by approximately $900.
Conclusion In conclusion, the Compass school is above the state average in testing and pride themselves on working to make their students use their brains. Their teacher quality is below state averages, but it is difficult to draw conclusions from the statistics given for teacher quality due to the criteria for a high quality teacher. Also, the funding at the Compass school is above state average. This information is important for people looking to analyze the Compass school, or for parents considering having their child attend. It outlines the school as a whole based on demographics, performance, teacher quality, and funding and compares to statewide averages in order to give the reader a better idea of the school.
Introduction
The Compass school opened in 2002 by a group of parents who wanted their kids to learn in a different way and use their brains. It is a K-8 school located in South Kingstown and has a total of 153 students. The curriculum at the Compass school focuses heavily on projects to integrate learning. By doing this, they feel, that the students learn the relevance of the information they learn and are able to take responsibility for and learn to present their work. The Compass School is based upon six key concepts and programs which include: parental involvement, environmental sustainability, site-based management, multistage approach, project-based teaching approach and social responsibility. The application process is based on a lottery system for all students that submit an application. If they are not picked initially, they are put on the waiting list and entered into the next lottery. In this report I will look at the demographics of the school, the effectiveness, specifically looking at standardized test scores, the teacher quality, and the school funding compared to statewide averages.
Welcome to the Compass School. (n.d.). Compass School. Retrieved October 20, 2013, from http://www.compassschool.org/home/
Demographics
The Compass school does not have much, if any diversity. The majority of students (96%) are white, and the remaining 4% is distributed between African American (1%), Native American (1%), and Hispanic (2%). When comparing this to the demographics to South Kingstown as a whole, it is not much different. In South Kingstown, 90.8% of people are white and the other 9.2% is split between Hispanic, American Indian, Asian, and Black.
"InfoWorks! Rhode Island Education Data Reporting - RIDE.ri.gov." InfoWorks! Rhode Island Education Data Reporting - RIDE.ri.gov. Retrieved. 28 Oct. 2013. <http://infoworks.ride.ri.gov/school/the-compass-school>.
Welcome to the Compass School. (n.d.). Compass School. Retrieved October 20, 2013, from http://www.compassschool.org/home/
Effectiveness
When comparing NECAP test scores of the Compass school to the statewide proficiency, the Compass school is significantly at a higher proficiency percentage in each grade and subject. At the Compass school, 4 percentages are 100% proficiency. These are 3rd grade math, 5th grade math, 5th grade reading, and 7th grade reading. The lowest proficiencies at the Compass school are 63% in 5th grade reading and 67% in 8th grade science. At the statewide level, the percentages are much lower, the lowest being 27% in 8th grade science and the highest being 77% in 8th grade reading.
"InfoWorks! Rhode Island Education Data Reporting - RIDE.ri.gov." InfoWorks! Rhode Island Education Data Reporting - RIDE.ri.gov. Retrieved. 28 Oct. 2013. <http://infoworks.ride.ri.gov/school/the-compass-school>.
Teacher Quality
The teachers at the Compass school have a higher percentage of teachers that are not highly qualified. The percentage from 2010-2011 for not highly qualified teachers is 7% at the Compass School as compared to 3% as the statewide percentage. Although this school has a relatively high number of not qualified teachers, this does now mean the school has bad teachers. Highly qualified means the teacher has a degree in the area they are teaching, therefore at this school, the high percentage could be because the teachers do not have degrees in their subject or in education. The teacher-student ratio is equivalent to the statewide average of 1:11.
"InfoWorks! Rhode Island Education Data Reporting - RIDE.ri.gov." InfoWorks! Rhode Island Education Data Reporting - RIDE.ri.gov. Retrieved. 28 Oct. 2013. <http://infoworks.ride.ri.gov/school/the-compass-school>.
School Funding
The Compass school receives its funding from public tax dollars and Federal and State grants. The district per pupil expenditure is $16,082. At the statewide level, the per pupil spending is $15,173. Therefore, the funding per pupil at the Compass school is above the state average by approximately $900.
"InfoWorks! Rhode Island Education Data Reporting - RIDE.ri.gov." InfoWorks! Rhode Island Education Data Reporting - RIDE.ri.gov. Retrieved. 28 Oct. 2013. <http://infoworks.ride.ri.gov/school/the-compass-school>.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Compass school is above the state average in testing and pride themselves on working to make their students use their brains. Their teacher quality is below state averages, but it is difficult to draw conclusions from the statistics given for teacher quality due to the criteria for a high quality teacher. Also, the funding at the Compass school is above state average. This information is important for people looking to analyze the Compass school, or for parents considering having their child attend. It outlines the school as a whole based on demographics, performance, teacher quality, and funding and compares to statewide averages in order to give the reader a better idea of the school.
Works Cited
"InfoWorks! Rhode Island Education Data Reporting - RIDE.ri.gov." InfoWorks! Rhode Island Education Data Reporting - RIDE.ri.gov. Retrieved. 28 Oct. 2013. <http://infoworks.ride.ri.gov/school/the-compass-school>.
Welcome to the Compass School. (n.d.). Compass School. Retrieved October 20, 2013, from http://www.compassschool.org/home/